


Superman

by Candace_X_Chambers



Series: WWE vs TNA Mashup [10]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Falling In Love, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Infidelity, M/M, Past Child Abuse, aj's childhood just sucks okay, both of which are also in the past, slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-06-07 14:30:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6809035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Candace_X_Chambers/pseuds/Candace_X_Chambers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Roman had put off his feelings for awhile now, damn near four months, but the way AJ looked tonight... dressed up like that, looking up at him like that... it brings back all of the things the short brunette had told him about his past, how each failed relationship made him feel like there wasn't any hope in finding his soulmate.</i>
</p><p>  <i>Roman doesn't want to hide his feelings anymore - he wants everyone to know how he feels about the man standing in front of him. That's why he cups AJ's face without even thinking, putting their foreheads together.</i></p><p>  <i>"You don't have to worry about searching for Mr. Right anymore, because I'm right here," the Samoan whispers before leaning down and pressing their lips together.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N: THIS IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER WORKS IN THIS SERIES. I JUST USE SETH'S FLUFFY TNA PAST AND RELATIONSHIP WITH AJ AS STRATEGY!**

**A/N: So, the prologue is a little.. different than what I'd normally write. This is where the implied homophobia comes in, too. I don't mean to offend anyone with this, I just want to provide some people with some background to the main characters and get them both equal sympathy... I also acknowledge the fact that their screen names are not their real names in here. HOWEVER, for purposes of the story everyone will be referred to by their screen name. Why? Because I can't look at Roman Reigns and see Leati Anoi'a. I can't look at Dean Ambrose and see Jon Good. I hope this doesn't cause any confusion.**

**Well, here I am with another fic. After finishing my matches and promos for my roleplay, I decided to give this ship a shot.. It's really started to grow on me, which is so weird. I'm not used to this.**

**For anyone on Tumblr, this is stylingcoalition's fault for making me really like the ship through our first short encounter with them, and liionhevrt's (sorry if I spelled that wrong) fault for further feeding my obsession. If you would like to roleplay with me, feel free to slide in my messages or comment on the bottom here. Please read the people I play in my bio and the people I ship them with. Much appreciated :)**

**Anyways, without further ado...**

PROLOGUE!

If you were a real fan of wrestling, AJ Styles wasn't an uncommon name to you. He was basically running the independent scene, and he wasn't a main eventer all that often. AJ Styles has been regarded to, on many occasions, as one of the best wrestlers today.

Of course, none of those people had ever stepped into the ring with AJ Styles to know that he is, truly, the best, even though his time left in the ring is limited.

On screen, he's beloved by the masses. There's probably only a select from of fans from around the world that have not formed some deep respect or admiration for the spectacle that is AJ Styles. Whether it be you admire his growing moveset, his versatility, his anti-fear mindset, his genuine likability, or his adorable accent and baby blue eyes - AJ Styles is a complete package for everyone of all ages, no matter what you were into.

That's probably why most of the people that frequented the Impact Zone liked him so much. His appearance hiked up Spike's TV Ratings and kept the place really moving for a while. However, these fans were mostly those who are from the South and hold the lessons they were taught growing up, and wouldn't like the person they admire through their TV screens if they knew the real him. He comes off as your stereotypical Christian boy from Georgia, but that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Allen Jones's faith in God doesn't extend beyond the private prayer session he has every night. That means he doesn't go to church or heavily read the Bible. He doesn't preach the word of God every where he goes or attend gatherings with church goers.

Their religious views are similar to those of a southern upbringing, and Allen's "lifestyle choices" wouldn't be accepted in their community.

But he's lived his life in secret. Going between secret lover to secret lover in hopes of, one day, meeting Mr. Right and finally settling down. After years of doing this, it seemed that was, probably, never going to happen. One failed long time relationship after the next, each ending in one sided heartbreak and tears, he found himself losing hope...

Roman Reigns is the opposite. He's a character despised on screen because he's been picked to be the next Chosen One, the one John Cena will pass the torch to when the time comes. He's already a three time World Heavyweight Champion because management didn't want his moment to be spoiled by the unrelenting boos he receives from the fans for reasons out of his control. Or, maybe they still had the foolish hope of him getting over with the crowd by feuding with the likes of Sheamus and Triple H, one who is truly disliked and one who was supposed to get heat every night. 

Neither of these attempts worked as he continued playing the underdog, just as Daniel Bryan and CM Punk did before him which gained them instant love and support, despite his large size and obvious power. One versus All, he said for countless months, even though he had his family right behind him at every step.

Roman Reigns pretended it didn't matter, that he didn't care, but Joe Anoaʻi did. Roman Reigns didn't have to explain to his baby girl why daddy had to keep getting his title taken away, why the people kept booing him everywhere he went. Why he was clearly so hated.

Roman Reigns didn't have to tell his daughter why a virtual stranger, who hasn't stepped foot into a WWE ring in over ten years, and even that was unbeknownst to most, was cheered so loudly the roof nearly came off while her dad was booed out of the building.. again.

Leati Anoaʻi was the one who lied and said he didn't know, that they might've been just excited to see a new face, when he knew exactly why.

AJ Styles is better than him. AJ Styles is everything he's not and, realistically, never would be if Vince didn't have unwavering support in him, if he wasn't a former football player with a long line of wrestling Samoan blood running through his veins, if he still wasn't remembered for his dominance in the Shield.

And it hurt, it really did. Not the level of Galina leaving him kind of hurt, or calling Joelle moments after he lost the World title the first time and having to tell her it'll be okay, he'll get another chance, while holding off tears of his own.

No, not that bad, but it still stung to know the WWE Universe loved someone who had just gotten there so much more than they do him. And he can't blame them. AJ Styles is a one of a kind talent with an endless moveset than will never be imitated.

But, Roman Reigns will never be another John Cena. Sure, he hustles every day of his life and is loyal to his family, sometimes to a fault, and he gives respect wherever it's earned. But Roman Reigns can be seen, and he will be heard.

Not even AJ Styles can stand in his way.

However, Leati Anoa'i isn't much different than Allen Jones. He keeps his sexuality a secret, far away from the prying eyes of the public.

Galina Becker is the only woman he will ever love, after all.

Still, Leati hasn't found his own soulmate, either. He hasn't necessarily given up hope, not like Allen has, but he doubts it'll ever happen.

Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, who have found their life partners within each other, aren't going to just let that fly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All characters used are property of the WWE, and I do not own any of them. This story is one of fiction and has never, nor will ever, happen. This was not created with the intent to harm anyone.**

**Warning: implied/referenced homophobia, insecurity, self appreciation issues, pining**

**A/N: So, the first edition of this was deleted, and I'm really fricking upset about it. I was so close to posting the second chapter, I just had a little bit left to do. I'm waiting to see if maybe somehow Wattpad can restore it or something, so I don't lose all of my hard work. In the mean time, I just decided to rewrite this and maybe this will be better than the last.**

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this anyways and will leave some positive feedback because I could really use it right now. Thanks.**

**Without further ado...**

 

Chapter One:

The Royal Rumble is one of the best Pay Per Views Seth has experienced without being a part of it in a long time. From being to end, it was action packed and contained good wrestling that sent him through a whirlwind of emotions.

It started off with him being nervous. His boyfriend was in a Last Man Standing match for Christ's sake! It's totally normal for anyone to be on edge throughout the contest. But, Dean managed to retain his Intercontinental Championship anyways, and it made Seth extremely happy, especially when he came to the back and had a miniature celebration.

The rest of the matches are a blast. Good match after good match, it was truly impressive. Not so much so that it makes Seth wish he was part of the action so soon - he definitely wants to be, when the time comes, but he wouldn't rush it - but still pretty good.

Then the Rumble happens.

If having a 30-man over the top rope battle royal wasn't enough to get someone as equally excited as they are overly tensed, then add your brother into the middle of it and you've got yourself an up and down roller coaster that isn't very fun.

Seth begins the hour knowing Roman can do it - he's not called the next John Cena for nothing - and he's confirmed by Rusev being easily dumped over the top ropes. Or, so he thinks.

He didn't realize that Rusev's quick elimination was to clear the stage for something bigger than him. After all, having the ring containing only one participant would allow everyone to focus on who's coming out at Number Three without taking away from the action.

Seth was one of many who completely lost their shit when AJ Styles came out.

It's been... what? Five years? No, more like six years since he last saw the southern man. Now he was standing right in front of Seth on his TV screen about to enter a WWE ring.

He stays pretty fucking hyped throughout the rest of the contest. He's fairly disappointed when AJ gets eliminated, though it's at the hands of Kevin Owens so it could be setting up a good feud with them in the future which would definitely be worth it, and he's just about in tears when Triple H tosses Roman out of the ring.

His brother has worked so damn hard for that championship whether people realize it or not. Not everyone can grow up on the indy scene, not everyone can learn in a barely stable ring covered in old sweat and blood while some fat guy with a mustache sort of teaches them how to wrestle while inadvertently developing an innovative moveset, and not everyone is going to have instantly good microphone skills.

That doesn't mean that person deserves to be hated for being pushed when they have worked their ass off to earn a push. Roman wouldn't be getting this "mega push" if he didn't in somehow, someway, deserve to have it.

The dejected and heartbroken look on Roman's face as he lands against the ground it's.. it once again makes Seth wonder how anyone can despise someone who so clearly puts their heart and soul; blood, sweat, and tears; into this business like his brother does every single day.

The only thing Seth's been doing lately is putting his sweat in the gym and people want him to be champion. It's absolutely ridiculous.

He keeps these thoughts in mind as he picks his crutches up and start to walk to the Superstars' locker room. Surely Roman will need them tonight - or he could not, it depends on how his daughter will react, but Seth will be there for him anyways.

Well, that was the plan, until he sees a certain someone.

"AJ!" Seth calls, crutching over to him. 

The short brunette, who has already changed into his street clothes and is heading to the parking lot, stops midstep and spins on his heels, "Seth?"

"Yeah, man, hey! It's been way too long," The younger one says, sort of giving his coworker a one armed hug, "That was one hell of a Pay Per View debut, though. Wow! I just about lost my mind!"

AJ rubs the back of his neck, ducking his head like he always does when he gets a compliment, "Well, thank ya. I hope you didn't hurt yourself, though. How's the rehab comin' along?"

"It's going. Being injured, especially this long, has really sucked, but I'm getting close to returning," Seth replies, "Which is great because I've been dying to step in the ring with you."

"We never did get to fight much, did we?" AJ asks, "I've said for awhile now that if ya ever wanna toss it up with me, let me know 'cause I'd definitely be down."

"Sethie, what ya doin', hun?" 

The Iowan turns his head at the sound of his boyfriend's voice. Oh, yeah, right. He was supposed to go see them. Right.

"Boyfriend, huh?" AJ asks, his voice low enough for only them to hear. Seth nods and gives an awkward smile.

Having your ex boyfriend and current one in the same area was awkward enough, especially when one didn't know the other was an ex.

Whoops.

"Just talking to a friend. Where's Ro?"

"He's comin'," Dean replies, looking his 'friend' over, "You know AJ fuckin' Styles and you never told me."

"I told you I worked for TNA, that should've been a given," Seth points out. A look of realization flashes over AJ's face when he puts the pieces together that Seth never said anything about them.

Now he feels bad. Damn it.

"We also kinda.. dated for awhile," Seth continues, resting his arms on his crutches.

Dean's eyes slightly widen in surprise, as he looks between them. After a few moment he chuckles, "And everyone says you're a homophobe." The taller man extends a hand, "It's great to meet ya, man. That reaction out there was pretty sweet, I don't think I've ever heard anyone scream that loud - except for Seth in our bedroom."

Wait, what?

AJ shakes his hand and smirks, "Just in the bedroom?"

"Oh God, please don't," Seth pleads, shaking his head. He can't believe these two are really going to do this right now.

"Fine, princess," Dean rolls his eyes, "Ro's gonna love to meet ya when he gets his big ass over here, real big fan of yours."

"I'm right here, dipshit," The Samoan in question comes up behind Dean, smacking him on the back of the head, "and I suggested you stop talking about my ass before I beat yours."

The light brown haired man scoffs, "Damn, someone's a little salty."

Seth sometimes, like right now, wonders as to why he puts up with their banter. It never leads to any good. There are certain times when Rome just shouldn't be messed with, and those are the times when Dean likes to push all of his buttons extra hard. It's why Seth has had to break up more than one almost-fist fight over the years.

 

"I ain't in the mood for your shit, Ambrose," Roman says before turning his attention to the shortest man there. Something weird flashes in his eyes that Seth's never seen before, but it's definitely not violent, "it is truly nice to meet you, though, and I am actually a big fan of your work. It was an honor just being in the same ring with you."

AJ blushes, putting his hands in his pockets, "Thank you, I really appreciate it. I-I'm actually a huge fan of yours, too."

"Oh, really?" Roman questions, smiling shyly. Aw, how cute, they're getting along just fine. Now if Dean could stop acting like a two year old..

The Phenomenal One shrugs, "Yeah, how could I not be? You're pretty amazin'."

Roman goes to say something next, but he's cut off by the appearance of Bubba Ray and D-Von, the former putting his arm around AJ's shoulders.

"Sorry to cut the gossip session off ladies, but I've got to steal Mr. Fantastic for a little while," Bubba says, smirking.

Has Seth ever mentioned he really doesn't like Bubba? D-Von's okay, he's actually a really funny guy, but his on-screen brother and real life best friend is not a very good person.

"I'll see y'all later," AJ flashes the three friends an apologetic look, especially at Seth because he knows about his dislike of the man stealing him away, "I ain't fantastic, I'm phenomenal. There's a difference."

"They're, like, synonyms or something," Bubba says as they walk away, "Plus, Mr. Fantastic can stretch, and the ladies like that... apparently."

"What a douche," Seth scoffs under his breath, using his crutches to turn himself around.

"So, why didn't you tell me about you and AJ?" Dean asks, crossing his arms over his chest. There's a hint of amusement in his eyes, but the question is legitimate.

"What about them?" Roman follows up, eyebrows drawn together. Dean smirks and fills him in.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All characters used are property of the WWE, and I do not own any of them. This story is one of fiction and has never, nor will ever, happen. This was not created with the intent to harm anyone.**

**Warning: implied/referenced homophobia, insecurity, self appreciation issues, pining, infidelity**

**A/N: So, here's chapter two and another Streigns interaction. This time a little more personal! This takes place basically the Raw before Fastlane because I forgot Roman took time off to heal up his nose not long afterwards, which I think is important to the plot.**

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoy. All feedback is greatly appreciated. If you have a Tumblr account and would like to be told directly when this is updated, follow me from the link below and message me about being tagged in the posts and I will. :)**

Chapter Two:

 

The next three weeks are rather uneventful, minus the drama that happens on screen between his family. Seth has finally been cleared to be off his crutches, which is a God sent. That means he can properly get in the gym, spend more time in his and Marek's academy when he's not on the road with Dean and Roman, and become even closer to returning.

He doesn't see much of AJ as he'd like to, or as much as he was originally hoping. It's not like he's all that busy, and he assumes AJ really isn't either. Whenever they do manage to see each other, the shorter man always disappears whenever Roman comes. He doesn't think AJ and Roman have been near each other for a long period of time since after the Rumble, which is very weird. They seemed to hit it off that Sunday, and it's been almost a month since, so why wouldn't they have gravitated towards each other?

The only people here AJ knows enough to hang around other than Seth is Christian and the Dudley's, but Christian isn't available all the time right now so that leaves him with the latter choice. Seth doesn't like the sound of that, especially since he's always had a suspicion that Bubba is a homophobe and AJ is definitely a homosexual. The combination just didn't sound right.

Seth and AJ were friends long before they were anything else, and maybe he just wants to be in the other's company again. That doesn't sound so bad, right?

Besides, Roman and AJ are the sweetest, most kindest people he's ever had the pleasure of knowing. They'd make really, really good friends. And if they became buddies, then Seth wouldn't feel as guilty when he and Dean wanted some alone time or a date night.

"I can hear you thinkin' from over here," Dean says from his spot in the passenger's seat, snapping Seth out of his daze, "What's got those gears turnin' now?"

The Iowan turns around to make sure Roman's still asleep, somewhat curled up in the backseat of their rental, before answering, "Do you think it's weird that Ro and AJ haven't spent more than a few seconds in the same area together?"

Dean shrugs, "Didn't really think about it before.. but, yeah, I guess it's a little weird."

"I thought they got along really well after the Rumble, and they'd make really good friends," Seth huffs, looking out the window, "It's not like we can force them to hang out or anything like that, but -"

"Oh, yes we can," Dean interrupts, causing Seth to look back at him, "Ain't that hard to look 'em in a room together and watch the sparks fly."

"Like maybe during Raw," Seth continues to plot, "We can get them in Rome's locker room and lock them in there until they're needed for the show. Then we can put them back in."

"It's so hot when ya talk dirty like that," Dean coos, smirking. From behind them, the Samoan light groans.

"I don't even wanna know what y'all were talking about," Roman says, unfolding his body, "but I have a feeling it was about me and your stupid sex life, right?"

"Don't worry about it, Big Guy," Dean says, "We're gonna get you a sex life real soon." The brunette looks at Seth and winks, chuckling as if it were some inside joke.

His boyfriend is so weird sometimes.

~

This was everything AJ ever imagined it would be and so much more.

Not only is he finally living out his life long dream in front of millions of people, with a lot of them being his supporters, but he actually has a quality feud with a future Hall of Famer. Their first and second matches were phenomenal - pun intended - the third is going to be even better. If plans don't change, then their fourth, which will be at the biggest stage of them all, will be the best. Sadly, it'll also be the final.

His second Pay Per View is this Sunday and he's absolutely stoked about it. Sure, the Rumble was epic, but this is his first actual match, and he couldn't be happier.

Well, maybe he could be a little happier. Hanging around Bubba isn't exactly the best option for him, but it's all he really has. He enjoys spending time with Chris whenever the blonde invites him, but he doesn't want to take up too much of his time.

Sure, he'd love to spend time with Seth. They are actually really great friends despite everything that happened between them. That stuff happened years ago, and they've both moved on.

It's just that.. he might have a small - very small in fact - crush on Roman Reigns and being near the guy makes him get awkward. Roman is, obviously, straight since he has a daughter. He could even have a wife, though AJ doesn't remember seeing him wear a wedding ring.

Basically, he just doesn't want to feed his obsession while it's still new. He'll wait until his feelings pass, because they will, and everything will go back to normal.

In the meantime, he will enjoy his career because it's frickin' amazing right now and ignore Bubba's rude little jokes. Everything will be just fine..

Hopefully.

"AJ! My man!" Seth wraps an arm around his shoulders, smiling, "I've been lookin' for ya everywhere."

"Really? I ain't that hard to find," AJ's draws his eyebrows together, looking down to notice his ex no longer has a support system, "Hey, you got rid of your crutches!"

"Yeah, doc said I didn't need them anymore. Still got a bit of a limp, but other than that I'm okay," Seth says, "You know, I haven't seen much of you since you got here. We should change that."

AJ is surprised by this. Sure, they haven't been together much, but he didn't expect the younger to actually want him around that much. Since he has a new family now, a new life, AJ seems like something that should be left in the past. "Sure. We can hang out after Raw -"

"Why not during it? Why not right now?" Seth asks, sounding excited. He guides AJ over to a room and pushes him inside, "Wait here while I get Dean."

AJ looks at the wood in front of him in confusion, and did he hear it just lock? That doesn't make sense. Seth wouldn't lock him in a room all by himself -

"Hey, there."

Oh, oh. Oh. That's - oh.

AJ freezes at the sound of Roman's deep, intoxicating voice. He forces himself to snap out of it and turn to the other man, though. After all, he didn't want to appear too awkward.

"Hey," the southerner says, attempting a smile, "Seth just kinda threw me in here, so.."

"I think they're trying to get us to talk to each other or something," Roman shrugs, "I think I heard 'em planning them out last night when we were driving over here."

AJ gulps. It's not like Seth could know. He's always been terrible at judging other people's feelings. It took them over a year to get together because AJ wasn't going to make the first move due to the other being so young, and he was being very forward about his feelings. So, he couldn't have planned this for any ulterior motive.

Dean on the other hand...

"That's weird," AJ scoffs, looking around the room. Yeah, he totally hasn't been avoiding the Samoan or anything like that... Nope...

"I can understand where they're coming from, though," Roman says, causing the older man to look back at him, "We haven't been talking very much, which I'm sure is merely a coincidence. Since we're both important to Seth, that's a problem."

God, he hates how dense Seth can be sometimes.

AJ nods, "Yeah, I know. It's just been a coincidence, like ya said, so he doesn't need to be forcin'.. this."

"It has been just a coincidence, right?" Roman asks, raising his eyebrows, "'Cause if you don't like me, I get it, you don't -"

"That definitely ain't a problem," AJ cuts him off, blushing a little after he realized what he just said. He didn't mean it like that, but it's the truth, and... why is he so weird? "I've just been.. busy tryna adjust to all of this. It's a lot different than anywhere else I've ever worked, so it's taken a little longer to be used to it than I hoped," Not a lie, but also not a real reason, "and I didn't want to intrude on y'all, especially since I'm just Seth's past. Heck, I don't even like botherin' Jericho, and he's given me permission to ride with him whenever I wanted." Finally some version of the truth comes out!

"You can tag along with us whenever you want too, man. I'd actually really appreciate your company when they're being... disgusting," Roman cringes but quickly recovers, "And while you may have been part of his past, you're part of our present and our future, so you definitely don't have to worry about that."

AJ smiles, feeling his heart stutter. Being around the Samoan while he's acting this damn kind isn't good for the crush that he's trying to get rid of. This is exactly what he meant when he said he was trying not to feed his obsession. Yet here he is, and he's being totally weird about it.

"Since it looks like we're gonna be stuck in here awhile, you may as well just go ahead and get changed. I promise I won't look," Roman says, winking. If AJ thought he was blushing before, now his face is on fire.

He actually doesn't mind the thought of the younger man watching him while he changed....

Pushing those thoughts away, and making his face impossibly redder, AJ puts his duffel bag on the bench and opens it up, "Thank you for bein' so nice. Ain't a lotta people out there who would be in your situation."

"Well, I try to make the best out of every situation I'm in," Roman shrugs, the corners of his lips slowly turning upwards, "and it doesn't hurt when someone's just as nice, like you are."

AJ matches the other's smile before looking away, pulling out his gear and taking his shirt off.

He feels like there's a pair of eyes on him the whole time, but he might be overreacting or hoping for something that isn't true...

~

As Seth officially unlocks the door after the show, and each time in between, he's expecting the two people in there to come out yelling at him and threatening to beat him up. He's prepared himself for this reaction for the past three hours.

Except, during the show, they act a little sad to leave, which isn't often. And right now, they're deep in conversation and don't even notice him.

Huh. How weird.

"I'm gonna stay with AJ tonight so y'all can fuck or whatever," Roman says, patting his shoulder as he follows AJ to his car.

"Mission Streigns is officially in session," Dean chuckles, smiling mischievously.

Seth draws his eyebrows together, "What the hell is Streigns?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: All characters used are property of the WWE, and I do not own any of them. This story is one of fiction and has never, nor will ever, happen. This was not created with the intent to harm anyone.**

**Warning: implied/referenced homophobia, insecurity, self appreciation issues, pining, infidelity**

**A/N: So, this hasn't been exactly what I was hoping for. Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoy it and leave feedback. I tend to be able to write more of a certain story when I keep getting positive feedback, so I'd appreciate if you could keep them coming.**

**That was one heck of a Pay Per View, eh?**

Chapter Three:

Even if Fastlane is a minor Pay Per View, AJ was pretty damn excited for it. From the first bell to the last, he was anxious for every match. Even his own, which went off without a hitch and was pretty damn good.

Chris hugged him after the match and said that they just stole the whole damn show, so it was definitely a success.

However, nothing was more exciting, for him at least, than the main event. Sure, it wasn't a title's match, but it was a Number One Contender's match with two of his friends, one of which he's interested in as more than a friend, and a bona fide beast. What's not to get hyped up over?

And the outcome - oh God, he was so happy! A lot of people said it was predictable, but he honestly loved it.. Maybe he's a little biased, but whatever. Who cares?

Or, he was pretty happy until he learned that Roman was dealing with a nose injury. AJ's been pretty blessed with not suffering too many injuries, which is astonishing considering his wrestling technique involves being in the air a majority of the time, but even he knows how much it sucks to hurt your nose.

Even worse? Roman's going back home until after Roadblock. Which means AJ won't get to see him, won't get to spend time with him like he has everyday this past week.

In the back of his mind, he knows that's a good thing. A really good thing. It leaves about two weeks for him to get past his ridiculous feelings and actually enjoy their blossoming friendship for what it really is. He feels bad every time he wishes it was something more, that they could kiss instead of just talking.

That Roman would make love to him then hold him all night so he wouldn't feel alone anymore.

He's pathetic and time apart will be able to fix that. Hopefully.

But AJ will still miss seeing the Samoan. That also means he'll have to go back to riding with the Dudleys or by himself, unless Chris forces him to come along, because there's no way in Hell he's going to third wheel his ex like that. He loves Seth to death, and he wants to spend time with him and Dean, but he's not going to do that. Nope.

He just really hopes Roman gets better soon. He's going to miss seeing his friend.

"You look like you're in pain. Are you okay?"

The sound of Roman's voice startles him- of course, he just had to be thinking about the man at the moment he finds him - but he recovers quickly.

"You're the one who's injured, and you're askin' me if I'm alright," AJ shakes his head. This guy is just too damn nice sometimes, not that he's complaining, "How are you doin', though?"

"It's a little tough to breathe right now, but I'll be alright," Roman replies, "Being able to spend time with my daughter is going to be great. I've missed her so much."

AJ's heart plummets to his stomach every time Roman brings up his daughter. It's a reminder that he is, in fact, straight and nothing will change that no matter how hard he wants it to work out between them.

"Have I showed you a picture of her before?" Roman asks, and AJ shakes his head. He quickly pulls his phone out and unlocks his screen, "Her name's Joelle, but my family calls her JoJo."

AJ looks at the picture - and dies, "She's - she's absolutely beautiful."

He's always been a sucker for kids, especially since he's not going to have any of his own, but JoJo - or, he should say Joelle since he's not family - Is different. Not just because she's Roman's child, not entirely, but her smile is so bright, and her eyes sparkle with a mix of euphoria and innocence.

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Roman says as the smaller man gives him his phone back, "If you want, you can come visit us. She'd love to meet you."

Fly down to Florida to meet his daughter? Spend time in his house? Have some actual alone time with him whenever she isn't there?

The idea does sound appealing...

But it'd be counterproductive.

"No, I can't," AJ replies. Disappointment flashes in the Samoan's eyes, and it mirrors in the slight downturn of his lips, "She's your daughter, you deserve to spend some time with her. I don't wanna be intrudin' on that."

"What's with you and always thinking you're intruding on people?" Roman asks, the disappointment being replaced by amusement and hope, "She's gonna end up getting sick of my smothering after a few days, anyways ." He steps forward, putting his hands on AJ's shoulders, "Besides, I want you there."

AJ can barely breathe with how close Roman is to him. His heart is beating so hard in his chest that he'd be surprised if no one else could hear it.

"Unless you don't want to, of course. I ain't gonna force you to come if you -"

"I want to," AJ interrupts, "I just... are you sure it's okay?"

The black haired man smiles, "I am one hundred percent sure that it's okay."

"Then I'll be there."

"Great," Roman slides his hand down to AJ's bicep before giving it a small squeeze and moving it away.

This man is going to be the death of him.

"Anyways, I gotta go to the airport," Roman says, though he looks a little reluctant, "I'll see you soon, though, right?"

"As soon as I can," Seeing as Roadblock is in two weeks, and he'll probably be on it, he's probably going to have to drive down there within the next week to have the rest of it off to focus on whatever he's going to be doing there.

"I can't wait," Roman says. They both stand there, just sort of looking at each other. For whatever reason, the Samoan doesn't seem to want to leave. Not that AJ does either... but they can't stay in this stalemate forever. In what will probably help himself out in the long run, because forcefully separating himself from his crush is definitely going to be good for him, he decides to be the first one to say goodbye -

Then Roman hugs him.

What.

The.

Fuck. 

He thought just having Roman's hand on his shoulder was enough to make his heart beat like crazy, but having their bodies pressed together - full on contact, no space between them - and having those muscular, tan arms wrapped around him jacks its beat up so high that it's probably a health hazard. AJ wraps his arms around him, laying his head on the taller's man shoulder. He gets a good whiff of the man's scent, a natural musk mixed in with cologne - gah, it's downright intoxicating.

AJ doesn't ever feel like moving.

Then Roman breaks the hug and just walks away, leaving AJ high and dry. He can barely stop himself in time from pulling the younger man back to him, to hold him even closer and never let go. AJ uses every ounce of strength left in his body to not run after him, not to call for him to come back.

Roman's retreating form has long since left, but he feels frozen in place, lost without his ray of sunshine to guide him.

Why is he so pathetic?

"AJ!"

What's with this kid and always finding him?

The brunette clears the back of his throat, brushing his hair behind his ears, "Seth, hey."

"You riding with Dean and I?"

"No, I already made plans with Jericho," AJ says. Seth frowns, clearly disappointed with this answer, "I don't wanna," he pauses. He was going to say intrude, but... "be a third wheel to y'all, 'specially since I'm your ex. It'll weird. 'Sides, I'm sure y'all've been appreciatin' the alone time."

"Well, yeah, but what if he gets bored of me?" Seth questions, his voice small.

"Do y'all love each other?" Seth nods, "Then he ain't gonna get bored of ya. You're a real catch, Seth, he's lucky to have ya, and I'm sure he knows it."

Seth purses his lips, "You need to stop being so nice all the time."

"Never," AJ says. He spots Jericho out of the corner of his eye, and he gestures over his shoulder, "I gotta go. See ya later, okay?"

"Fine, fine," The Iowan waves him off. AJ quickly jogs up to Chris.

"Heya, partner," AJ says. Chris smiles when he sees him and they instantly start chatting.

The ride to the hotel isn't bad, nor is rooming with his on-screen rival, but it's almost... weird now. It's not that he doesn't enjoy Chris's company, he does. The Canadian is a very nice, intelligent, funny man who he easily gets along with, but...

He's not Roman and that's not okay.

~

It takes less than a week, but AJ does manage to get two days off for "personal reasons". The first day is a Thursday which he'll spend the first half of getting down to Florida, but he'll spend the whole day there Friday before getting back on the road the next morning.

He's as excited as he is nervous.

He's excited for obvious reasons. He gets to spend practically two whole days with his crush. Which, while probably not the smartest idea, is going to be great. He likes Chris a lot, he really does, but it's just not the same as being with Roman. So, maybe if they spend a day together, it'll make travelling with Chris tolerable.

He's nervous because, what if Joelle doesn't like him? What if she takes the wrestling thing seriously as sees him as the guy who stood toe to toe with her dad at the Royal Rumble? Although they did fight alongside each other shortly thereafter. It's crazy to think about it now with everything that's happened... Or what if he makes things awkward with Roman? Sure, he's been able to behave himself in public, where he's trained himself to always stay in check because he doesn't want anyone to know about his sexuality (yet). But that doesn't compare to what happens behind closer doors, when he lets his guard down and just relaxes. What if he can't control himself and says or does something that ruins their friendship? His crush is bound to pass any day now, it's only a matter of time, and he'd hate to throw it all away just like that.

Hopefully he'll be fine....

The ride to Roman's house from the airport wasn't too long, so he just took a cab to avoid going out of his way to find a Rent-A-Car service.

Once outside the man's house, the nerves start to come out more, practically overshadowing his excitement. But he told Roman he'd do this, so he will. Taking a deep breath, AJ musters up the courage to walk up his driveway and knock on the door.

It's opened not even a second later, and Roman is on the other side of it, smiling brightly. His eyes are so full of a joy and excitement. He quickly closes the distance between them, wrapping his arms around AJ in a quick yet breathtaking hug.

"I wasn't sure if you were actually coming or not," Roman's voice reflects his relief, "I realized a couple days ago that I never gave you my number so you could call."

"I didn't even think about that." His subconscious, who tends to be smarter than he is, probably made him forget about that small detail. After all, he'd probably just spend most of his time texting the younger man, and he's not really even that much of a texter.

"Well, give me your phone then, dork," Roman says, sticking his hand out. AJ blushes, pulling his device out of his pocket and handing it over. The Samoan gestures him inside.

AJ tentatively walks in, observing his surroundings. It's a beautiful looking house decorated with nice furniture and family photos. The place isn't used much due to Roman being on the road and his ex wife and daughter living in another place.

Still, it looks great. And big. Very big.

It's a shame only two people live here... maybe if there was a third...

"Here you go," Roman says, breaking his thoughts. AJ grabs his phone, smiling at the new contact.

Ro, followed by a winky face, accompanied by a very attractive picture that he's probably going to spend too much time looking at.

"Does this mean I should start callin' ya Ro?" AJ asks, unable to stop smiling.

Roman chuckles, "You can call me whatever you want."

Well, in that case...

No, no, no. That's definitely not what he meant.

"Follow me to the guest room so you can put your stuff down," Roman orders, "Then, hopefully, my ex will get here so you can meet my daughter."

AJ nods as he follows Roman up the stairs. The walls have their own pictures, too, but they're mostly hand made. Finger paintings, noodle art, and hand turkeys, all signed with a sloppy JoJo at the bottom. If he wasn't already smiling, this would give him a whole new reason to.

Roman puts his bag in the last door on the left and invites him inside. Directing him to the nearest bathroom should he need it, along with directions to other places in the house.

"What if she doesn't like me?" AJ suddenly asks, chewing on his bottom lip. He should probably be listening to Roman talk, but he's been worrying about it the whole time. Even moreso now that she's going to be home soon. After all, Ro's daughter is the most important person in his life. If she doesn't like AJ, then who knows how much longer their friendship would last? He'd have every right to break it off if he wanted to..

"It's okay if she doesn't. She didn't like Seth at first, either, but she warmed up to him," Roman replies, shrugging, "But you don't have to worry about her not liking you 'cause she is absolutely going to love you. No doubt about it."

AJ gives him a skeptical look. Sure, all of his friends' kids have liked him, but that doesn't mean she will. Besides, to them he really is AJ Styles because they know him, they've watched him on TV for years, and they cheer for him every night. But Joelle, she doesn't know him. She may be one of those who boo him or are confused with his presence, wondering why everyone makes a big deal over him.

"I like you, a lot, and that's the only thing that matters when it comes to us," Roman says, causing AJ to inhale sharply.

That's everything he's been waiting to hear, but it's not what Roman meant, and it stirs up something weird inside of him.

"You okay?" Roman questions, putting a hand on the shorter man's shoulder. The touch burns through his shirt, going through his skin, and lighting up his insides. AJ looks down at the hand, wondering how it could have such magical powers to do all of that. He lets his lip slide out from between his teeth before looking up.

Except now Roman is even closer to him, eyes a shade darker, and slowly leaning down...

AJ's breath hitches as he waits for the inevitable touch of their lips. God, he's been waiting for this for so long...

The sound of the door knocking breaks the moment and causes Roman to quickly take a couple steps back. The tension (sexual tension, that is) that was there just a moment ago suddenly broken, cut into microscopic pieces, and has now left them both feeling awkward.

Roman rubs the back of his neck, "I'm gonna.. go get that. You can stay here if you want." He doesn't wait for a confirmation before turning around and going down the stairs, using his long legs to get down there faster.

AJ rests his head against the wall, closing his eyes, "Get it together, Allen."

"Remember to take her to school tomorrow and Monday," the sound of a woman's voice floats upstairs, "I'm actually inviting over some family for a barbeque then, and you're welcome to stay."

Must be Roman's ex wife...

Which is just another reminder that he's straight and was not about to kiss AJ. Nope. It was his mind just playing tricks on him.

"Nah, they never really liked me anyways," Roman replies. How can someone not like him? "And she'll definitely be going to school, ain't that right?"

AJ runs his hands through his hair, preparing himself to go out there and meet his fate. He takes a deep breath and waits for the door to shut.

Then it does and he feels like his legs are frozen into spot.

"You're better than this, Allen," he tells himself, "She's just a little kid anyways, and kids love you. You'll be okay."

He's been reduced to a blubbering mess who talks to himself. Great. Just great.

"AJ STYLES?! WHERE?!"

"Upstairs, cutie pie. And be nice, he's daddy's special friend."

Daddy's special friend? When did he earn that title?

Sighing, because he wants that to mean what it doesn't, he exits the room and is greeted by a high pitched squeal of excitement.

"Hi," AJ says, crouching down to her level. He expects to get a shy handshake, but is instead nearly tackled to the ground in a ferocious huge.

Roman snorts, "And you thought she wouldn't like you."

AJ gives him a look as he continues hugging the small child.

"Why wouldn't I like you?" Joelle asks, taking a step back, "You're the guy on TV who does all the cool flips! And daddy thinks you're pretty."

AJ blushes, "Does he?"

"Yeah, he says it all the time," Joelle says, playfully rolling her eyes, "Oh! You should come in my room and play with me!"

Without waiting for an answer, she turns around and runs into her room. AJ watches her go before standing up, bushing off his legs.

"So, you think I'm pretty?" AJ asks teasingly, smiling up at the Samoan. He means it as a joke, but if Roman actually thinks he's pretty, then...

"Don't listen to what she says. She's just a kid who doesn't know what she's talking bout," Roman replies, much to the smaller man's disappointment.

"Are you sure? 'Cause Joelle seemed -"

"I thought I told you to call her Jojo."

AJ is surprised by the sudden interruption, and his brows furrow together, "Ya said that family calls her that."

"That means you, dork," The Samoan says, smiling, "Did you really think that I would invite you to my home if I didn't consider you family?"

AJ blinks rapidly, trying to prevent his tears from building up. He's never really been part of a family before...

"I know y'all are old, but you don't have to be slow, too," Joelle - JoJo- says, poking her head out of the room. She stomps forward and grabs both of the adult's hands, pulling them to her room.

JoJo commands them to sit down by her tea table as she pulls out her dolls. She names herself both Queen and King, because it's her Kingdom and she does what she wants, with AJ being a knight and Roman being a servant.

As they play along to her little fantasy, AJ looks between them both. He thinks that, even if nothing ever happens between himself and Roman, that he could get used to this.. until Roman finds himself another woman, of course. Then he'll have to let it go...

That's definitely going to hurt, but it's not like he's never had his heart broken before.

~

"Babe, who are you talking to this late at night?"

Seth glances over at Dean, who had his phone out and was clearly testing someone. It definitely isn't Rome because their brother needs his beauty sleep and it's never two in the morning. It's not that Seth's jealous, he's not, but there's no sane person who'd be up this late and he doesn't want his boyfriend talking to crazy people.

"Christian."

"Christian?" Seth repeats, brows furrowed in confusion. He wasn't aware they even talked to each other, let alone had each other's numbers, "About what?"

"He's helpin' me with the next phase of Operation Streigns," Dean replkes, acting as if it were no big deal, "Them two dopes won't ever figure it out on their own, so we're gonna help 'em out."

The next phase? Like.... becoming best friends? Seth thinks they're capable of accomplishing that feat on their own but... whatever. He likes missions.

Seth finally parks in front of the hotel they're staying at for the night, "What do we gotta do?"

"That's what we're talking about now," Dean replies, "Got any suggestions, Mr. Architect?"

"Not off the top of my head, no," Seth says, shaking his head. He doesn't see what could possibly make them best friends besides more one-on-one time. None of this makes a lot of sense.

But he likes missions, so.

"It'll be easy.. once we figure out what it is," Dean smirks confidently.

Seth still doesn't see the point in this... but it'll be fun!

~

The night is fairly uneventful, as far as AJ's homoerotic fantasies with Roman are concerned. He helps JoJo with her homework while Roman makes dinner, and he washes dishes afterwards because, even though he's a guest, he feels obliged to help out in someway.

He has the faintest suspicion that he was being stared at the whole time, but Roman was probably just looking at his daughter... Yeah, that makes more sense...

The next morning JoJo is at school, and AJ expects more awkward occasions, like that one from yesterday, to occur. Surprisingly, nothing strange happens. They spend the morning shopping for groceries, which was very relaxing, before going back to the house and, as the kids would say, 'just chill' (they do say that, right? Eh, oh well).

JoJo comes home, and she's a big ball of excitement. Chattering on and on about her day, it's quite adorable. She could barely refrain from telling all her friends that AJ Styles was at her house, because she wanted to have him all to herself, and they would've came over and never left had she did.. or so she says.

AJ's never considered the thought before that JoJo has friends who happen to also be into wrestling. Her father is the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, after all. That must give her huge bragging rights.

Thankfully, they aren't old enough to be a part of the IWC, so they haven't read all the horrible things people say about Roman Reigns and started to believe them. He'd hate for the poor girl's heart to be broken because of some of the cruel things people say.

The afternoon isn't much different than the night before, except that Roman gets a call from the pharmacy about something for his nose and has to leave. He keeps apologizing to AJ for having to just up and leave like this, but AJ totally understands. Roman needs his medicine to get better, and he definitely doesn't mind watching his daughter for a little bit.

While Roman is out, actually, they work together to make dinner. Just some simple tacos, they don't take very long, but JoJo was proud of her work and boasted to her dad the moment he got home.

She goes to bed not long thereafter, claiming that her phenomenal day - pun intended - has worn her out, and a Queen like her must go get some beauty sleep. Not that she needs to be anymore beautiful, but, you know.

While Roman reads her a bed time story, AJ sits in the kitchen and plays on his phone. He sees he has a text from Karl saying they'd be there sometime next week. It makes him freeze for a moment. In his lust filled haze, he totally forgot about Karl and Doc coming to the States. The text is accompanied with a winky face, which probably means they'll be continuing their little... agreement over here. It'll probably be good for him to be with someone else, especially since it's only a Friends with Benefits arrangement. It might even make him forget all about Roman once and for all.

AJ sends him a quick text back saying that he's missed his friend's company, especially Karl's, if you catch his drift.

Maybe all of this is just because he's sex deprived and his body is just going towards the nearest attractive single guy and yearning for it.

Granted, Karl isn't exactly the best guy to be going to help him with that issue, but it's better than trying to form an actual relationship.

"I didn't get the chance to thank you earlier," Roman says, suddenly coming into the kitchen. AJ instantly locks his phone and puts it on the table, "So, thank you for being such a great friend."

Friend, right. That's all he is.

AJ shrugs, "Don't sweat it, any would've done the same thing."

"No, not really," Roman says. He grabs AJ's hands and pulls him onto his feet. He wraps his arms around the brunette's shoulders, pulling him close. He should be accustomed to this show of affection from the Samoan, and he shouldn't react so crazily every time.

Yet here he is, once again struggling to breath as his heart furiously beats, threatening to burst through his chest like in the cartoons when the character sees another pretty character.

Or in that one episode of Supernatural, but that wasn't a pleasant sight.

"I'm really happy you came out by the way. I've enjoyed having you here more than I thought I would," Roman says, slightly pulling back to look down into the southerner's eyes, "Which is saying something considering I've been pretty excited about this for days."

"Thank you for havin' me over, I love it here. Maybe we can do it again sometime," AJ replies, "if ya ain't busy or ya wanna do it again, that is."

"I can't wait," Roman smiles, "You know, JoJo's gonna be in Dallas for WrestleMania weekend. She'd love to see you there."

"She's gonna get sick of me," AJ jokes. They both burst out laughing, "But I'll be there, and I'll definitely be spendin' some time with y'all."

"Great," Roman grins, but his eyes show nerves for some reason, "But since we're on the topic of seeing each other, I was thinking that maybe we could -"

The sound of a phone buzzing cuts him off. AJ turns around to pick his device off the table and unlocking it, reading the text from Karl.

_KA: & uve missed having this dick in that sexy ass of urs right? ;)_

AJ's cheeks heat up, burning a bright red, and he sends a 'maybe' before tuning the sound off and sliding it back into his pocket.

He really doesn't need to be thinking about having a dick in him when Roman is this close to him.

"Boyfriend?"

"Somethin' like that," AJ replies, not thinking it over. Sure, he and Karl have a thing, but it's never going to go past just sleeping together.

"Oh, I, uh, I didn't know that."

As AJ looks back up at Roman, he sees the same thing in those beautiful eyes as he hears I'm the Samoan's voice: hurt and disappointment. It makes AJ's heart shrink, but he's confused as to why Roman would even care. 

Maybe he's upset that AJ didn't tell him, considering Roman has gone out of his way to be so nice to him, including inducting AJ into his family. But, in his defense, it's not like he's even been thinking about Karl since he got here....

"Anyways," AJ says, clearing his throat, "What were you sayin' before?"

Roman shakes his head, "I.. I don't remember. Probably wasn't all that important."

"Okay then," AJ raises his eyebrows. It had seemed pretty important, but if Roman says it isn't, then he has no reason not to trust the man.

"You never told me who you were fighting at Roadblock," Roman says, trying to change the subject and get rid of the uncomfortable silence.

"I actually don't know yet," AJ replies, "I figured it'd be somethin' to do with Chris, but he's got Swagger that night."

Roman's eyebrows knit together, "Swagger? He still works here?"

"Gosh, don't be mean," AJ can't help but chuckle, but he still smacks the Samoan playfully on the chest. Just because someone isn't featured as much as others doesn't give someone the right to joke about their employment. What they should be joking about is Vince's brilliant idea that a Canadian crowd is going to cheer All American Patriot over someone who was literally born in Canada. Chris would have to insult every little thing about that city for that to happen.

Roman grabs the hand AJ used to slap him with and holds onto it, his hand nearly engulfing AJ's smaller one. He entwines their fingers together, pressing it against his chest - right where his heart is.

"I'm not mean to you, and that's all that matters," Roman says, his voice low. He slowly leans in, pressing his lips to one of AJ's cheek bones, "You know, whoever he is, I hope he treats you right and makes you very happy, because you deserve that.. And if he doesn't, I'm sure there's someone out there waiting to snatch you up."

The Samoan gives their conjoined hands a squeeze before letting it go, and AJ's hand flops down to his side. He can't take his eyes off of Roman's face, not that his brain is working very much at the moment.

"Anyways, I'm going to take a shower before going to sleep," Roman says, backing away from him, "Sweet dreams, AJ."

AJ doesn't trust his voice enough at the moment to say anything back, he settles for a small nod of the head. He waits until Roman leaves to plop down into a chair, finally able to get off his shaking legs. He feels completely rattled right now.

What the fuck even just happened?

Trying to distract himself, he picks his phone up and sees he has two new messages.

KA: nuh uh, don't you lie to me aj

KA: I hope im not disappointing you, but I was thinking maybe we wrap this up? since we're in the states now, I can have better access to my wife, you know

That's.. unexpected, to say the least. Not that he cares. If Karl wants to just be with his wife, he's totally fine with that. He knew it'd end sooner rather than later, anyways.

AJ: why would u be disappointin me? she's your wife

Sighing, AJ puts his head in his hands. He hears the water turn on from upstairs, and he tries not to think about Roman up there... naked and glistening with water...

AJ: what day r u getting here? I think I really need to get laid

He quickly sends the message before thinking it over. It's what he needs mostly likely. Even if it's just for the night..

KA: do you now? japan wasn't enough for you? ;)

KA: Tuesday after Roadblock

That's... that's not for another week. Oh God.

But that's okay. He's not going to see Roman for the next week. Heck, they won't have any contact outside of the occasional text to make sure they're doing okay, and to make sure Roman is healing properly.

He'll be okay.

Hopefully.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All characters used are property of the WWE, and I do not own any of them. This story is one of fiction and has never, nor will ever, happen. This was not created with the intent to harm anyone.**

**Warning: implied/referenced homophobia, insecurity, self appreciation issues, pining, infidelity**

**A/N: I hope everyone who has read this has enjoyed it! I know I personally have loved writing this. It's sad to see their feud end, but hopefully they'll get to step in the ring together again sometime.**

**So, in this chapter, I have a mid scene POV change. I'll make it known when it happens. It probably would've to make it one POV, but I wanted to include Kevin in there, and I realized I haven't provided much Roman time. So, I'm killing two birds with one stone.**

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY AJ. Also, happy late birthday to Roman and Seth. Why isn't Dean's birthday also in this week?**

Chapter Four:

The moment AJ finds out he's not going to be at Roadblock, he's a little disappointed. But that quickly goes away when he learns he's getting a championship match instead.

"So, you're not going to be at Roadblock?" Had been Roman's reply when AJ said he'd be in Atlanta. AJ was a little sad to inform him that he wouldn't be, but he's going to get a freaking title shot.

"But it's a title shot. I wouldn't be gettin' one if I was doin' Roadblock," AJ adds, still smiling.

For pretty much his entire career, he thought he'd never get to do any of this - Madison Square Garden, WrestleMania, fight for a title in the biggest wrestling company, just be a WWE Superstar - so now that it's actually happening, every opportunity he gets is a blessing that he couldn't be happier to receive. He's been here maybe three months and this is his second title shot, and he's going to make his WrestleMania debut next month. What more could he ask for?

Much to AJ's surprise, the short conversations every other day, if that, which he had originally planned for don't become a reality. Instead, they talk basically every day. Lengthy conversations about nothing - and that's just on the phone. They text, a lot. Last night, the night before his match, they literally stay up until one in the morning texting - he's incredibly nervous for what lies ahead and it's making getting some shut eye nearly impossible - until Roman decides to just call him. They talk for another two hours until the sound of Roman's steady breathing finally lulls AJ to sleep.

It's really weird to say the least.

But, yeah, that was last night. Just now he had a damn good match in front of a lively crowd with one of his favorite competitors. Kevin really is such a nice guy, and he plays the role of a heel so well that AJ sometimes has a hard time not smiling during their matches.

AJ spots Kevin walking back to his locker room, and he nudges his opponent lightly, "So, you're the Headlock Master now?" 

"Now? I've always been the Headlock Master," Kevin says, "But you're the Springboard Forearm Master, if that makes you happy."

"Why would that make me happy?"

"I still think it's a pretty stupid finisher. Signature I can get behind, but it's not a move that should get the three count," Kevin keeps talking as if AJ hadn't said anything, "Also, the Phenomenal Forearm? I really hope you didn't come up with that, because it's a dumb name. The Styles Crash would've been so much better."

"Go work for Creative and tell 'em that, then. I'm sure they'd love to hear your opinion," AJ replies, amused, "While you're there, you should get Jimmy Jacobs out from behind that desk and into that ring. Or at least go back to lookin' like he used to, I miss him bein' the Zombie Princess."

"Speaking of looking for people -"

"No one said anythin' about lookin' for anyone."

Kevin throws him a look, "Speaking of looking for people, I can't find Generico anywhere."

"He's in Canada for Roadblock, Kev," AJ says, eyebrows drawn together. 

Kevin pauses, looking confused, "He is?" Did he really not know his best friend was in their home country?

"Yeah," AJ answers, shaking his head, "C'mon, ya gotta -"

AJ pauses he spots someone in the corner of his eye that looks familiar. He turns around and - what the fuck?

"I gotta what? You can't leave me on a cliffhanger like this. It's like when someone stops in the middle of a sentence while writing fanfiction and posts the chapter," AJ momentarily stops his miniature freak out in favor of giving Kevin a look, "Not that I read fanfiction.. because I don't.. but -"

"I'll talk to ya later, Kev," AJ starts to walk away. Not because Kevin just said what has to be one of the weirdest thing he's ever heard, but because he needs to go attack - uh, hug - the person he just saw.

"I don't read fanfiction!" Kevin calls after him, "What the fuck are you looking at? Huh? Get out of my face."

AJ contemplates turning around to see who Kevin is talking to - probably some poor employee who happened to just be right there - but decides against it. He's on a much more important mission right now.

He finds his intended target leaning against the wall, phone in his face. It's amazing how he can still look so gorgeous doing such a simple action.

Without thinking it over, because he'd probably just overcomplicate the situation, AJ instantly hugs him, wrapping his arms around the muscular midsection he's become so familiar with.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," Roman says, his deep voice music to AJ's ears as he wraps his arms around the brunette's shoulders.

His hands are like white hot fire against AJ's exposed back - he totally forgot he wasn't wearing anything but his ring gear, whoops - and it makes him shiver from desire for those hands to go else where... Roman, however, takes his jacket off and drapes it around his shoulders. AJ gives him a look.

The Samoan shrugs, "You shivered."

AJ smiles because his generosity is just adorable. Also the jacket smells like him, "What're you doin' here?"

"I figured that since I can't see you on TV, I'd come see you in person," Roman replies, "JoJo went back to her mom's, anyways... and I missed you."

AJ feels his cheeks heat up, and he looks down at the floor, "I just talked to ya last night."

"I like looking at your face, too."

AJ looks back up at Roman, taken aback by his words. He likes to think that he's not repulsive, but he's not the most good looking guy, either. He's certainly not attractive enough to have someone leave their daughter and fly out to see him.

AJ opens his mouth to deflect or something dumb like Roman is so much more attractive than him, which would imply than he thinks Roman is attractive. That's just a whole can of worms that he doesn't want to open.

"Hey, uce!" AJ takes a couple steps back to allow Naomi enough space to hug her brother-in-law. Much to AJ's surprise, she gives him a one armed hug as well, "It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard so many good things about you."

For a second, he thinks that, maybe, Roman's been talking about him to his family. Then he realizes that there's been a whole bunch of people talking about him since his debut. That makes a lot more sense anyways.

"It's nice to meet ya, too," AJ smiles. He totally doesn't know a lot about her from his Total Diva's obsession or anything like that. Nope. "I.. I should probably go get changed now," He says, feeling awkward. He doesn't know exactly how he's supposed to act around Roman's family when he doesn't know how to act around Roman himself, and he does feel a little weird standing there half naked.

The fact that he wants to be fully naked with the man standing in front of him doesn't help, either.

"I'll be here when you get out," Roman beams back at him. It looks absolutely beautiful that he can't do much more than give a little wave before making his way to the locker room. He pulls the jacket tighter around his shoulders, breathing in the Samoan's scent as a pleased smile washes over his face.

*

If Roman watches AJ walk away, well, who can blame him? Guy's for a nice ass.

"Is there something you're not telling me, uce?" Naomi asks, bringing Roman's attention back to her. He blushes, rubbing the back of his neck.

"There ain't anything to tell you about," Roman says, shrugging. There are only the fantasies he's had in his head that he desperately wants to be a reality, but his sis doesn't need to know anything about that.

Naomi nudges him, "You sure about that? 'Cause it looks like something."

"He's got a boyfriend. So even if there was, it doesn't matter," Kind of a boyfriend, whatever that means. He knows AJ's not engaged or married because he's not wearing a ring, but that's better than the alternative of them just sleeping around.

AJ deserves so much more than just someone to fuck him every night and then leave. He deserves someone who will treat him right, who will make him wake up with a smile on his face and go to sleep the same way.

He deserves a real man who loves him more than anything in the whole world and will provide him with a happy, loving home with a real family.

If Roman happens to be perfect for the job, then that's just a coincidence.

Maybe Roman shouldn't be so hard on this mystery man. He could be exactly like Roman. Hell, maybe he's better. There has to be a reason AJ's with him, after all.

He doesn't understand why this is suddenly just coming out, though. Sure, they haven't been friends for very long, but AJ knows about his ex. He thought they'd shared those types of things.

"That's a shame. I've been with you for a few minutes but I can tell you're crazy about 'im," Naomi shakes her head, "Have ya tried telling him how you feel?"

"God no," Roman replies, "That wouldn't help at all."

"You don't know that," Naomi argues, "Maybe he's just with this other guy to be with someone. Maybe he'd rather be with you, but he's afraid that you'd reject him if he said anything."

She could be right, but...

It's not like Roman's kept his feelings a secret. There have been multiple occasions where he's almost kissed AJ, with the one in his house being more obvious than the others, and then he basically said he'd go out with AJ should he ever find himself single or unhappy in the relationship he's in.

What if AJ read his signals wrong?

No that's not - he's not Seth. He can't get them that messed up.

"Ro, I'm just saying, y'all were lookin' at each other like Jim and I look at each other, or like Dean and Seth look at each other," Naomi puts a hand on his arm, giving it a gentle, comforting squeeze, "It's been a really long time since I've seen you genuinely happy, and I think y'all would be good for each other. So, just give it a chance. If not for yourself, do it for JoJo. She deserves to have a whole family again."

Roman purses his lips, crossing his arms over his chest. That idea sounds lovely, and he's been thinking about it for the past couple weeks... but it's probably never going to happen.

"I'll.. I'll try," to keep everything bottled up until it goes away, to ignore the problem until it's not one anymore. That's what real adults do, right?

"Mhm, I better be the first one invited to your wedding," Naomi smirks, "I'll see you later, hun, but I want you to remember what I said. All of it."

"Yeah, yeah," Roman gives his sister in law another hug before she walks off. He really loves her, he loves everyone in his family, but she can be a little stubborn at times. Hopefully she doesn't go spreading this around to all members of their family. The last thing he needs is to be pestered by them, or, even worse, for them to bother AJ about this.

That would be his absolute nightmare.

"Hey."

Roman turns around at the sound of a southern accent and - oh. Just like every time he sees the brunette, the air is snatched right out of his lungs. But seeing AJ in his jacket, even if it is a little big on him, it's.. it's too much.

It makes Roman feel like he has a claim over the smaller man. As if his jacket made AJ untouchable.

It kind of makes Roman want to put his arms around AJ's thighs and lift him up, pressing their bodies together while he shoves the smaller man against the wall -

"Hey, that was fast," Roman shakes his head to clear away those thoughts.

"I didn't want to keep ya waitin'," AJ rubs the back of his neck, looking up at Roman with those beautiful blue eyes, "Are you gonna be on Raw Monday?"

"I am, finally. I really appreciate the time off, but I've been dying to get back into the ring," Roman replies as they start walking towards the parking lot, "I can't wait until they give us the opportunity to step in the ring together, though."

"I can't, either. It'll be fun," AJ says. Roman looks down at him, and their eyes connect. It feels like electricity is passing between them.

"It will," Roman looks between the shorter man's eyes and his lips before turning his gaze away all together.

"That was one hell of a match against Kevin."

~

Roman's heart is racing as he emerges through the crowd, making his return. The crowd didn't appreciate the moment, but he doesn't care about them. He's been dying for this to happen. He knows JoJo is loving it, as are his brothers and his cousins.

So is AJ, which makes him happier than he could ever put into words.

Roman goes back to the locker room and takes a quick shower to rinse off whatever minimal sweat he managed to accumulate being out there beating up the COO. It wasn't very much, but he wants to smell good for his crush.

Imagine that - he's taking a shower to smell good for AJ Styles. Oh, what his life has come to.

Speaking of the devil.

"Hey," Roman instantly wraps his arms around AJ's neck, pulling the brunette against him. He's still wearing Roman's jacket, which only makes him happier.

"Hey," AJ says, stuffing his hands in his pockets as they pull apart, "That - that was absolutely amazin', man. I'm really proud of ya."

Roman feels his cheeks heat up, and he shrugs nonchalantly, "Yeah, it was alright."

"Alright? You had me freakin' out, and I knew it was gonna happen," AJ counters, "I can't wait to see ya beat him at 'Mania, though. It's gonna be nice watchin' you walk around with that belt."

"It will be until I come back and reclaim what's mine," Seth teases, patting him on the shoulder, "Which'll be any day now, so you better watch your back."

"Who says I won't have the next shot? Jerk," Dean scoffs.

"It's my title," Seth continues the playful banter, glaring at his boyfriend.

God, they're so adorable. Yet also disgusting.

"How about neither of y'all punks get one? Not that either of you could beat me for my title," Roman adds, smirking at the couple. He loves messing with his brothers so much, especially when it's mostly true.

They both throw him incredulous looks before continuing their bickering. They know Roman would give them a shot, but it's a question whether Creative would allow it and who'd they'd pick to win. As much as Roman would hate to lose, he'd also hate for his brothers to experience that. He felt bad beating Dean at Fastlane, and that was just a Number One Contender's match.

Roman rolls their eyes at them - though Dean is lucky his boyfriend got rid of his crutches or Seth would be wacking him with them.. again - and looks down at AJ. He's watching them with an amused look in his eyes, even though they look a little distant.

He's never thought about it before, but it must be hard for AJ to see his ex so happy with someone else. Roman may not know the extent of their relationship or how it ended, but he knows how fully and how hard his friends love. It must've been hard when they broke up, and it probably still does hurt.

AJ pulls his phone out of his pocket and brings it up to his face, presumably answering a call. Before he can even say anything, a look of confusion crosses over his features. He turns around, and Roman's eyes follow him.

Follow him as he practically runs into the arms of another man.

Roman's whole body tenses up as he watches the other guy's hands nearly touch AJ's ass, and they hug for what isn't an acceptable amount of time for just friends. The large guy standing beside them has to pull them apart, and even still they stay close to each other.

Must be the boyfriend...

Selfishly, Roman was hoping for more time with his crush before this mystery man showed up and whisked him away. It seems that their time is up.. but AJ did say they'd spend Mania weekend together, so he has that to look forward to.

"What're y'all doin' here? Ya said you'd be here tomorrow," AJ asks, clearly confused. 

"Well, after reading your message, I wanted to get here as fast as possible. Didn't seem fair to keep you waiting," the short bald one says, his tone flirtatious. 

The tall one rolls his eyes, "Vince wanted us here ASAP so we could finalize our contracts."

"That's not as important as you," the one that Roman really doesn't like adds, smirking, "but we do actually have to go do that. How about you get us a room and when we're done, which shouldn't take long, I'll meet you there and help you with your little.. problem?"

"You two are disgusting."

Amen.

"Doc, shut up," AJ scoffs, "And yeah, I'll do that."

"I forgot how beautiful you are."

The short bald one cups the back of AJ's head, bringing their lips together-

Roman tears his eyes away from the scene, fingers tightening around the strap of his bag that's on his shoulder. He runs his other hand through his hair, trying not to think about what's going on behind him.

"You okay, man?" Dean asks, putting his hand on the Samoan's shoulder. He nods and forces a smile, but it quickly goes away.

"Aw," Seth coos when AJ comes back over to them, "You two are so cute. Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend?"

AJ blushes, rubbing the back of his neck, "Well, uh, we're not.. datin'."

"You're not," Seth repeats. His eyebrows draw together as he looks at his friend in confusion, "Are you going to?"

"No," AJ hesitantly replies, crossing his arms over his chest. He looks a little embarrassed.

Why would someone not want to go out with this gorgeous human being? It's an honor Roman would definitely love to have, and everything that comes with it would be a bonus.

"Why not?" Seth questions, "It's not like he's married, right?"

AJ adverts his eyes to the ground, refusing to answer Seth's question, "I, um, I have a room to check into. I'll see y'all tomorrow."

Roman's still in shock, but he does manage to get his feet moving as he follows AJ. It doesn't take long to catch up to the brunette. He grabs AJ's arm, causing the southerner to stop walking, but he still won't meet his eyes.

"Please tell me you're not actually sleeping with a married man," Roman says, feeling his heart sink. AJ glances up at him before looking away.

Wow, that's just... wow. 

"You're kidding me, right?" Roman snaps. The brunette looks back up at him, surprised by his outburst. "Do you know how wrong that is? Marriage is a commitment between two people, one of them doesn't get to just have a side piece -"

"You think I'd be standin' here right now if I listened everytime someone told me that my lifestyle was wrong?" AJ interrupts, "It's my life, I can do what I want with it with whoever I want."

"They're married. If he can't be loyal to his wife, then how can he be loyal to you?"

"I haven't been shown loyalty from anyone I've ever been with. Ask your brother, he knows all about that," AJ snaps. He closes his eyes for a moment, and when he reopens them, they look old beyond his years and broken. It makes Roman question what happened to make them break up - if Seth cheated on him, that boy is in for an ass whooping -, but now he wants to know what his other exes did to make him resort to this. "I don't need someone to be loyal to me. I just.. I just need someone who makes me happy and can hold me at night."

"What happens when he stops doing that and goes back to his wife? Then what?" Roman can barely keep a lid on his anger right now. He can't believe that AJ could do this to himself when he deserves to have so much more.

"Then I spend the rest of my life alone like I've always known I was going to."

"But you don't deserve that. You deserve a man who will give you everything you ask for. You're better than just being someone's toy."

"I ain't nobody's toy," AJ snaps, "I knew that you would be disappointed in me, but I can't believe that you would judge me for dealin' with the cards that life has given me. I thought our friendship meant more than that." AJ sighs, "Now, if you'll excuse me. I'm gonna hitch a ride with Jericho."

The brunette pushes past Romab, walking away from him. He tries calling after AJ, but he just keeps on walking.

Roman sighs, running a hand over his face. He spins on his heels and walks back to where his brothers are. He'll definitely apologize tomorrow, explain what he was trying to say with a clear head. 

He makes a beeline for Seth as soon as he spots the Iowan walking with his boyfriend, "What did you do to him?"

Seth's turns to look at him, brows furrowed, "What?"

"When you two broke up, what happened?" Roman repeats, "'Cause he was talking about a lack of loyalty, and I swear if you cheated on him, I will -"

"I didn't cheat on him, Ro," Seth sighs, "One day I got a call from Vince saying he wanted me to come do a tryout for FCW when my contract ran out. I never told anyone, especially AJ... and the day before my tryout, I left before he woke up and never came back."

Roman stares at Seth for a moment in utter disbelief. He's wanted an opportunity like the one Seth had for these past couple weeks, but Seth goes and just throws it away like that? How can you do that to someone?

Shaking his head, Roman walks around his brothers and heads toward the parking lot. By himself for the first time in awhile.

He takes out his phone as he sits in the driver's side of the car. He starts to text AJ, but he realizes that he probably won't read it anyways. And they won't have their normal late night conversation because he'll be busy...

Roman rests his forehead against the steering wheel. This hurts more than he thought it would...

~

AJ lays back on the bed as Karl kisses down his neck. It feels good - Karl has become an expert at knowing what he likes - but his mind is elsewhere. Has been this whole time.

He started out by thinking about Roman said. Did he really want this for himself? Didn't he want to find someone to spend the rest of his life with? The idea of finally finding his life partner sounds appealing, but he's experienced too much heartbreak at this point to risk putting himself back out there.

Then, as their clothes started to come off, he thought of Roman - just Roman. With his big hands, his strong muscles, his beautiful eyes.. AJ's never seen his body before, but he can tell it'd look just as godlike as the rest of him.

He imagines running his fingers through Roman's hair... Roman picking him up by his thighs and tossing him on the bed... ripping his clothes off -

"Okay, what's wrong?"

A voice that definitely doesn't belong to his crush brings him out of his head and back to reality. AJ frowns, not because it's Karl hovering over him, but because it's not Roman.

"N-nothin', why?" God, he's such a liar.

"Well, my name isn't Roman," Karl replies, causing AJ to blush, "and you haven't been acting like yourself. Tell me what's going on."

"I just," AJ sighs, shaking his head, "I like... someone, a lot, but he's straight so it doesn't matter. It's just been weighin' on my mind lately and won't go away."

"You should tell him how you feel. Even if it doesn't lead to anything, then you can get it off your conscious," Karl suggests, reasonable as ever.

"I.. I'm afraid of losin' him," it shocks AJ how true that is. Roman has become such an important part of his life that losing him now would destroy him.

And to think they've only really known each other for a handful of weeks.

"But I-I still wanna be with you, right now," partly because the person he wants to be with is taken, but that's something only he needs to know.

"Are you sure? Because we don't have -"

AJ grabs the back of Karl's neck and presses their lips together, "I told you I wanted to get laid, so hurry up and fuck me already."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Karl smirks before kissing him again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All characters used are property of the WWE, and I do not own any of them. This story is one of fiction and has never, nor will ever, happen. This was not created with the intent to harm anyone.**

**Warning: implied/referenced homophobia, insecurity, self appreciation issues, pining, infidelity, Implied/referenced child abuse/neglect, implied/referenced abuse, implied/referenced alcoholism**

**A/N: THIS CHAPTER REFERENCES CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT and regular abuse AND ALCOHOLISM. I've just added it to the tags and the warning above, but I wanted to let everyone know here in case you didn't read it there.**

**Due to Galina, JoJo's mother and Roman's wife, requesting their daughter not be used in role-playing, fanfics, etc, JoJo will only be featured in one scene and will not make another appearance through the rest of this story. At most her name/presence will only be mentioned. I hope you can all understand this. Galina's wishes are more important than this story, and I don't mean to offend anyone.**

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoy and continue to leave feedback.**

Chapter Five:

For the next couple weeks, AJ and Roman stay close. In fact, it seems as if Roman is keeping him closer than normal in case it's one of those nights where AJ and his not-boyfriend feel like doing the nasty. Which is fine, Dean assumes. Maybe AJ will finally see that Roman is pretty fucking into him by the obvious display of jealous he's got going on.

Which is basically phase two of Operation Streigns: make Roman get really jealous over their relationship until AJ finally realized what's up.

It's proven to be harder than he thought. Hell, this whole mission has been more difficult than he originally thought it was going to be. He didn't expect AJ to have a boyfriend, first off. Or a fuck buddy, whatever ya wanna call it. He didn't really seem like the type to.

Then again, he also didn't expect AJ Styles to be a closeted homosexual.

Even more so, who would've thought they could be almost as dense as Seth is? Roman might not be, Dean's not too certain how well his brother has been understanding this whole thing, but it's starting to get ridiculous.

Obviously no one can be as bad as Seth. It took two years of an endless pursuit capped off with Dean yelling "I want to fuck you" at the younger man for them to finally get together. Roman, like the asshole that he is, had laughed at him the majority of the time instead of helping.

Well, look how the tables have turned. Except Dean, because he's actually the good brother in their little family, wants his big brother to be happy and is doing whatever he can to help him out. He remembers how heartbroken Rome had been when he got divorced, and he barely knew the dude at the time, and Dean wants to make sure he's never like that again.

He just has a really good feeling about this AJ Styles character and what he could mean to their family.

He'd like to thank Seth and Christian for that - they both complimented the guy's personality, his biggest traits being his heart of gold and undying loyalty. And Christian told him about AJ's sexually adventurous side, another thing that shocked Dean, that was actually quite impressive - but he can't.

Maybe he's got some freaky intuition thing going on right now, but he could just tell from the moment Roman and AJ laid eyes on reach other that they were just.. meant to be. Kinda like soulmates, if you believe in that type of thing.

He hadn't before he met Seth, but now he definitely does.

"What's wrong? You're being quiet."

Seth's angelic voice brings him out of his head. Dean's rubs his face, rolling his shoulder as he gets back to the conversation he's supposed to be having.

"Ya know I think when I'm nervous," Dean says, leaning forward to rests his elbows on his knees. He puts his phone on speaker and sets it on the table when Roman walks into the room.

"You're nervous? Imagine how I feel," Seth huffs, "I really wish you guys were here right now."

"I know, baby, I wish we were there," Dean says, stroking the table beside his phone. He'd give anything to be with his boyfriend right now, holding his hand and feeling him it'd all be okay instead of attempting to comfort him over the phone - he's about to learn how much more he has to go in his rehab before he can return - but their schedule for the Road to WrestleMania has been completely insane. 

Seth had gone back to Iowa because it wouldn't be a good idea for him to be traveling that much, and so he can put even more into his workouts in hopes of being able to return at 'Mania.

It's unlikely, so the doctors have told Dean, but there's always a sliver of hope that it could happen. Seth's main goal was to get back in time for the Showcase of the Immortals, to steal the show for the second year in a row by running down the ramp and smoking the whole world.

As much as Dean - and basically all of the WWE Universe - would love to see that happen, but he doesn't want his boyfriend to strain himself to achieve his goal and further injure himself, setting his return date back even further into the future than it already is.

"The doctor just came back. I - I'll tell you what happens," with that Seth puts the call on hold. Sighing, Dean sits back in his seat and runs his fingers through his hair.

"Where's lover boy at?" Dean asks, entwining his fingers together.

The Samoan shoots him a look, "I'm gonna pretend you didn't just call him that.. and he's out with his boyfriend." He spits the last word out with disgust, and it make him start to snarl.

"Fuck buddy, not boyfriend," Dean corrects.

"Don't you ever say that again," Roman snaps, "AJ's too good to just have a fuck buddy -"

"Then why don't ya tell 'im that?" Dean interrupts, "It's obvious you're crazy 'bout him, and maybe if he knew how ya felt he wouldn't need a fuck bud - the short bald guy."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Roman asks, sighing loudly. Maybe because it's a good idea! "It's not gonna help anything. It'll only make things awkward with him. I mean, he's with someone whether it's official or not."

"But, like you just said, it ain't an official relationship. No harm done if they call it quits," Dean counters, "Look, it's your life and you can do whatever ya want with it. I ain't your damn mother, after all. But I want you to listen to what I, and who ever else is trying help you out, is sayin'. We love ya, Ro, and we want to see ya happy again. I got a good feeling that AJ could make you really happy if given the chance."

Pursing his lips, Roman looks at the Cincinnati native in surprise. He normally doesn't get deep like that, but this shit is important to him and he wants it done right.

"Hey, are you guys still there?"

Dean turns back to the phone, staring at it as if Seth were in its place, "Yeah, baby. What'd he say?"

"I.. I..." Seth's voice shakes as he talks, his breath coming in jagged gulps, "I'm not gonna make it. God, I've worked so hard.."

"I know, baby, I know."

~

AJ is probably more of a hockey fan than all of these people combined - except maybe Tyler Breeze considering he's Canadian, but the kid is too focused on taking selfies to even focus on the game in front of them.

So, he just spent the last here hours with people hasn't spent much time with before and probably wouldn't have - except for Lana because she's actually very sweet - if he wasn't required to be doing this via orders from Vince McMahon. Gotta promote how amazing Dallas is so people will turn out for WrestleMania, he assumes. Not that he gets what doning custom made Stars Jerseys is going to do to help that but it's just something he has to do.

Karl says it makes him look hot so, you know. Whatever.

He just hopes all of those pictures he took with Tyler look good.

"AJ!"

He stops at the sound of his name being called in a high pitched squeal. He puts his book bag on the ground and crouches down, opening up his arms for JoJo to run in to.

"Hey, honey, I've missed you," AJ says, holding her tight. He looks up at Roman as his feet come into view and he smiles. It honestly feels so good to see him, "I've missed you, too, Ro."

"Daddy missed you a lot, but I missed you most," JoJo says, giving his neck a tight squeeze before letting go.

AJ gves her a kiss on the head before standing up and looking up at Roman, "You want one, too?"

"A kiss or a hug?" Roman asks, a playful smile on his face. He wraps his arms around the brunette's shoulders before he gets the chance to answer. That's probably a good thing because he would've said something stupid like both.

"Sorry to just leave you like this, but this little queen needs her beauty sleep" Roman apologizes, grabbing JoJo's hand, "We'll see you tomorrow though, right?"

"Yeah, of course." At this point, AJ doesn't think he'd be able to even if he wanted to, which he doesn't. He loves JoJo almost as much as he loves her dad. Spending time with her, with both of them, is just -

Wait, what? Did he really just think that? It's not possible, it can't be. Sure, Roman takes up most of the space in his brain.. well, basically all of it. AJ rarely thinks about anything else at this point.. and there's no one else he'd rather be with, and he's immensely attracted to the other, and their conversations, both public and in private, are his favorite...

But it's not love, right? It can't be. It's just a crush.. A very strong crush that he's going to get over. Eventually. Maybe.

"But I want to see him now."

AJ's brought back into the reality as JoJo's whining hits his ears. Now she's standing a few feet away from her father, arms crossed over her chest and a very solid pout on her face. Roman has his hands on his hips, giving his daughter an exasperated look.

"He's got his own.. things to do, honey. We can't hog all of his time," Roman spits out the word 'things' with such disgust that it makes AJ cringe. He actually doesn't plan on doing anything besides sleeping, if he's being honest. Maybe if Karl is up for it they'd probably fuck a little but nothing too strenuous.

"He-he wants to stay with us, right Uncle J?" JoJo turns around to look up a the older man, her little eyes pleading with him. AJ's heart stutters at what apparently is his new nickname.

Uncle J. He could get used to that.

"I mean, if y'all got room for me, I don't mind," AJ replies, shrugging. Roman turns his head to look at him, surprise written on his face.

"A- are you sure?" The Samoan asks, raising his eyebrows,"If you've got other plans -"

"Don't make him change his mind, daddy," JoJo happily hugs AJ's waist. AJ smiles, ruffling JoJo's hair. She stretches her arms up, and AJ picks her up and puts her against his hip. Roman stares at them with something different in his eyes.

"Fine," the Samoan huffs, "but you and I are sharing a bed whether you like it or not."

JoJo squeals in excitement. That's not fair, AJ wants to share a bed with Roman, too. "We're gonna have so much fun!"

"Also, I've been meaning to ask you," Roman says as they start walking to the hotel, "I think it's two weeks after Extreme Rules we're gonna be near Pensacola, so my family has this little get together planned. I was hoping that maybe you'd like to come."

"You.. you want me to come?" AJ barely managed to squeak out. He was just thinking about whether or not he was in love with Roman, and now he's inviting AJ to meet his family the night before their weekend together, which they'll be spending with his daughter, officially starts.

Roman is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best friend he's ever had. Nobody he's ever known has been this generous to him, has ever been kind enough to actually introduce him to their family besides the usual wife and children, even if he's known them for a decade or two. Yet here Roman is, they've maybe been friends for a month and he's welcoming AJ into his ho!e, into his life, as if it were no big deal.

It makes AJ feel even more guilty over his inappropriate and ludicrous thoughts about the Samoan.

"AJ, I love having you around. So does JoJo. The rest of my family will, too, once they meet you," Roman says, "Also I think it'd be cool for you to see where I grew up. And, you know, the next time we go to Georgia you can show me where you grew up," He opens the door for them, shrugging nonchalantly, "If you're interested in doing all of that, of course. Everything is optional."

"Pleease Uncle J. You have to come," JoJo pleads, tugging on the collar of his shirt. AJ pushes the up button beside the elevator and steps inside when the doors ding open.

"Well, if I really am family to you, then it'd be wrong for me to say no," AJ replies, smiling up at Roman, "not that I could ever say no to spendin' time with y'all."

It's going to be an emotional evening, though. Probably one that will end with AJ in tears.

It's just that... he comes from a broken home with parents and brothers that didn't love him, a strained relationship with his grandparents, who have since passed, because of his dad's behavior and his mother refusing to leave him. He hasn't been part of a family in.. possibly ever. He doesn't remember much about his toddler years except for the small space he'd sometimes get stuck in for days because there was no other room for him in their mobile home, and the rest of his childhood was spent scavenging for food and wishing he had friends, so things might have been good then.

Then came being a preteen, where his eyes really opened up to the home he was living in. The stench of alcohol was everywhere, enhanced by the empty bottles scattered all over their already small house, and his dad's words were always slurred. It was also the first time he noticed bruises on his mother's skin that wasn't hidden by clothing, the way she always stood on end when his dad went on another drunken rampage.

Puberty hit, and AJ realized he was one of those people his dad hated, called horrible names and said they'd go to Hell for their sins. That was also she the bruises started showing up on his skin, too.

He never found out if the two things were related. As if his dad knew the whole time and was trying to beat him straight.

His parents found out about his "disgusting lifestyle choices", as if his sexuality were a choice, and gave him the ultimatum of fixing himself and repenting for what he's done or be kicked out of his home, lose his family, and go straight to Hell.

He hadn't considered them family before that, so the choice was easy.

Roman just saying he considers AJ family is enough to make his eyes water. Being surrounded by people who may or may not share Roman's sentiments, who will treat him as if he actually is blood, is going to make him bawl like a baby.

The sobbing he'll experience then won't be nearly as bad as when he loses Roman, but, still. It won't be pretty to watch.

JoJo chatters on about all the fun they're going to have tomorrow in between Roman and AJ's required stuff. AJ sets her down once they get in the room, but that doesn't stop her from talking, pure excitement in his voice.

It's so adorable.

"That's wonderful and all, honey. But in order to do all of that, you'll have to get some sleep or you won't have any energy," Roman says, pulling clothes out of his bag, "Now put your PJs on so you can go to bed." 

Huffing, JoJo takes the offered clothes and goes into the bathroom.

"Just when I thought you couldn't get anymore amazing, you find a way to surprise me," Roman murmurs, wrapping his arms around the shorter man's shoulders and pulling him closer, "I don't think I can thank you enough for being such a great friend. It really means a lot to me."

AJ closes his eyes and puts his head on the Samoan's chest, "Don't mention it."

They stand there like that for a few minutes, holding each other tightly. AJ can't describe it, how good it feels to be in the man's arms, nor does he know why it's even happening. He's certainly not going to stop it, though.

Roman hastily pulls away when the sound of the bathroom door opens, and he pats AJ on the shoulder, "Got a hell of a day tomorrow, you should probably go take a shower."

AJ nods, watching Roman pick his daughter up before scurrying into the bathroom.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: All characters used are property of the WWE, and I do not own any of them. This story is one of fiction and has never, nor will ever, happen. This was not created with the intent to harm anyone.**

**Warning: implied/referenced homophobia, insecurity, self appreciation issues, pining, infidelity, Implied/referenced child abuse/neglect, implied/referenced abuse, implied/referenced alcoholism**

**A/N: So that last chapter was kind of... eh. Not real happy with it, but my mind has been jumping around everywhere lately, which has made this harder to write that I had originally expected. But I want to focus on this as my number one project, because it's my baby, and I'm not going to just drop it like that. Still, I hope you all enjoy this and continue to read and leave feedback. I have a funny feeling things will be getting a little.. steamy here soon.**

Chapter Six:

WRESTLEMANIA 32

The whole experience - from sitting in the stands with Xavier and Tyler playing games on the humongous Tron watching the arena get out together to actually walking on to the ramp in front of over a hundred thousand screaming fans - was so surreal, AJ can't believe this is his first WrestleMania. The fact that he lost can't even bring him down right now. He's in such a good mood he even agreed to go out on the town with Karl and Doc, something he rarely does.

He just made his 'Mania debut in one of the best matches in his career, and Vince told him something really big would be happening to him at Raw. He assumes it has something to do with Karl and Doc - a possible formation of a condensed Bullet Club? Maybe Finn will get called up to the main roster to join them? - or a shot at a mid card title. It's unlikely he'd win since he's still need to the company, but just getting the shot would mean the world to him.

AJ just finished up getting dressed, which proved to be harder than he thought when he refused to take his eyes off the screen during the main event, when Roman pins Triple H. He clamps a hand over his mouth to stop a rather unmanly squeal from coming out while his heart beat speeds up ten fold.

"You okay?" Karl asks, putting his hand on AJ's lower back.

"Yeah," AJ breathes, "I just - I'll be right back."

He's out the door before either of them question where he's going or why.

He knows how much this means to Roman, and he wants to let him know how much this means to AJ, too.

~

Last year, after he had lost in the main event, Roman was afraid he'd never get an opportunity like this again. Sure, he's still young and has about a decade, give or take, left in him, but that doesn't mean he'd ever get the chance to main event WrestleMania again.

Yet here he is. Not only did he do it again, but this time he actually got to win, and he beat the COO of the fucking company.

Not to mention he won the world championship. Just, wow.

Roman unbuckles his vest and tosses it.. somewhere. They'll find it later.

He hoists the title up onto his bare shoulder as he walks through the curtain. A smile is etched onto his face, and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

It gets bigger once he sees AJ standing there. The brunette spots him at the same time, a grin breaks out onto his face that reaches all the way up into his eyes. Roman doesn't realize either of them are moving until a pair of muscular arms wrap around his neck, his own arms instantly wrapping around the older's waist.

"I'm sorry to just.. attack ya like this, but I just wanted to come congratulate ya before your family got here," AJ says into his ear before leaning back, his hands on Roman's jaw, "You've worked so hard for this, and ya did so good out there. I'm... I'm just so proud of you."

Roman's heart flutters. He didn't know how much he needed to hear AJ's praise before, but now that he has he never wants to hear it from anyone else because it won't be nearly as important.

Except his daughter, but that's a different story.

AJ's hands slide down to rest on the younger man's shoulders, looking up at him with awe in his eyes, "I know that there are people out there who think you haven't worked for this, but you shouldn't listen to 'em. You earned this, you deserve this - not just the title, but the moment, too. You're the guy now and that's... that's all that matters."

The country man pauses, shaking his head, "I'm sorry, I know I'm just yappin' my gums right now, and I probably don't make much sense, but I - I -"

"AJ, is, um, everything okay?"

Roman's eyes narrow at the sound of short, bald fuck face's stupid voice. They're having an intense moment right now, and this asshole just has to ruin it. As if Roman didn't have enough problems with him already...

"Yeah," AJ replies, turning his eyes back to Roman, "I should let ya go now, family's probably dyin' to see ya. I'll, um, I'll see ya tomorrow though, right?" He gives a small smile, stepping back, "You enjoy that win 'cause ya deserve it."

AJ takes a few steps back, nodding his head, as he turns around and -

Roman doesn't think, he just reaches out and grabs AJ's hand to pull him back, their bodies pressed against each other's again. He dips his head down so their lips are almost touching, "If there's ever a time when you decide you want more than what he's willing to give you, you know where to find me."

He presses a soft kiss to the corner of AJ's mouth before stepping back, releasing the smaller man's hand to turn away and find his bosses, then his family.

Roman glares at Karl as he passes by the two, his heart beating a mile a minute.

This night is definitely in his top five favorite.

"Roman, I have to say, that was mighty impressive," Vince said, clapping the Samoan on the shoulder before pulling him in for a hug, "I always like watching my son in law get his ass kicked, but seeing my own daughter get speared was a joy I didn't expect to have."

~

"What was that about?" Karl asks, raising his eyebrows.

AJ shakes his head, "I don't.. I don't know." He leans onto one of the crates because his legs are shaking so bad.

"Well, there's still a couple of beers at a bar down the street waiting for us," Doc says, gesturing with his head for them to get a move on.

Karl puts an arm around AJ's shoulders, letting the older man lean against him as they walk to the parking lot. AJ vaguely hears them talking, probably having another meaningless debate.

His mind is reeling, wondering what that was supposed to mean and if.. if it's supposed to mean what he thinks he means, then.. It's ridiculous, right? There's no way that Roman would..

But there's nothing else that could mean besides Roman wanting to be with him, which is exactly what he wants it to mean. Not that that option makes any sense because Roman is straight, and AJ doesn't just get relationships with genuinely good men. Every boyfriend he's ever had - which is technically only three but he's slept with more people than that, a fact he's not necessarily proud of - has had a serious case of narcissism and tended to put him aside to better themselves or, more commonly, their own career. Roman isn't the type of person to do that. He's always put family first - a family in which he already considers AJ a member of.

That makes Roman the kind of person who would not want to date AJ, no matter what his sexuality may or may not be. And -

"Stop thinking about it, we're supposed to be having fun. Talk to him about it tomorrow," Karl whispers, putting his arm around the smaller man's shoulders, "Don't be a party pooper now."

AJ smiles up at him, "You know I'm the life of the party."

"Only if you dance on the table," Karl matches his smile, "or strip. Possibly even both if you're up to it."

"Please don't, I don't want to see either of those," Doc groans, tossing their bags into the back of the rental.

"Don't worry, I won't be," AJ flicks Karl's ear. If Roman asked him to do that, especially the latter option, he totally would, but.. "Stop bein' so weird."

~

Roman hugs his mom goodbye, wishing her a safe trip back the hotel, before picking up his daughter and giving her a kiss. She protests spending the night with her grandmother when she'd rather be with her dad, but he explains he has a Talk Show early tomorrow morning and they have a flight home.

Also Jimmy and Jey want to celebrate "grown men style", whatever the hell that's supposed to mean, and he has a feeling JoJo doesn't need to see that.

"Dean and Seth are already at the hotel with, as Deano described it, a shit ton of alcohol and fried chicken," Jey says as they get in the car.

"I hope you guys plan on drinking all of that, because I really do have a talk show with Charlotte tomorrow and I'm not showing up hungover or wasted," Roman replies, getting comfortable in the back seat, "I will take the fried chicken, though. Y'all are gonna have to fend for yourselves."

"Your boyfriend ain't gonna be happy to hear that," Jimmy teases.

"But I don't have a boyfriend, genius."

"And who's fault is that?" Jimmy asks, turning around in his seat to look at his cousin, "Didn't Naomi tell you to just tell him how you feel?"

"I did!" Roman counters. It much later than she had told him to, but he did it.. kind of. He made his desires clear, hopefully, while giving his crush an ultimatum to never act on it unless he wants to. Even though he hadn't meant to do it, and he's in such a good mood that he hasn't started to freak out over the consequences, he isn't going to take it back. Who knows? Maybe Naomi was right after all. "Nothing's happened, yet, so give me a break."

"You're the only one who's not married, man. Family's tired of waiting for it to happen again," Jimmy smirks, "'sides, you should fuck him with the title on while -"

"Shut up, uce," Roman kicks the back of his younger cousin's seat, his face heating up. If he's being honest, he's thought about that before.. quite a few times actually, but they don't need to know that. No one does.

But his mind is stuck on what Jimmy said before that.

Sure, he married Galina because he loved her, but he always knew she wasn't The One. He had a feeling his family did, too, especially his mother. They welcomed her, of course, but its like they knew it was never going to last.

His mom comforted him when the divorce was finalized by telling him he'd have another one, he'd find his soulmate. That or she would find a billboard and write "marry my son" on it and glue down a picture of his face.

With a family like his, it was basically a requirement that everyone had a significant other to show embarrassing baby pictures to and that'll get smothered during family get-togethers by their new mother-in-law and aunts alike. Unless you're like his sister, whose boyfriend got interrogated by their father the first day they met and everyday after.

He's never brought home a guy before, and he's curious as to how that would work.

"Dude, I swear to God I have never looked at you naked!"

"What?" Roman asks as he loses his train of thought, eyebrows drawn together.

"I made a joke on the Edge and Christian Show that Totally Reeks of Awesomeness a while back about how he was the only one I saw naked before I meet Naomi," Jimmy explains, "and he brings it up all the time even though it was a joke."

"I'ma pull this car over if you keep arguing about this," Jey counters, "You said it, we all heard it, now you're just gonna have to man up and deal with it."

Roman shakes his head, "Why would you even be naked around each other?"

~

AJ giggles, shaking his head, "I don't sound like that, y'all are just bein' a couple of jerks!"

"We're just bein' a couple of frickin' jerks, Karl," Doc imitates their haired friend, "Be careful, he might put us in some frickin' headlocks!"

"Just for that, you get to go back up to the bar and get us more beer," Karl says, pointing to the bar... in its general area, anyways. He actually found the home quite funny - just as he did when they did it on Jericho's podcast - but he wants a couple minutes of alone time with AJ just to talk without leaving Doc out of it.

It'll take the big clutz longer to get up there and back, so this is his perfect chance.

"Be honest with me," Karl says, reaching across the table and grabbing AJ's hands, "do you like Roman?"

The brunette nods, "I do, a lot."

"Then tomorrow I want you to tell him that," Karl says softly, "and don't worry about... about us. I'll still be your best friend, your brother in crime, for as long as you want me to be, no matter what."

AJ smiles, gesturing with his head to the seat next to him, "C'mere."

Karl doesn't waste anytime sliding out of his side of the booth and sitting next to AJ. The older man puts head on Karl's shoulder, and he wraps his arm around AJ's in return.

"I love you, Karl," AJ says, snuggling closer to him.

Karl ignores the way his heart beats faster just having AJ close to him. He's noticed that, no matter how many times they've fucked in the past two years, just being able to hold AJ was enough to make him turn into a schoolgirl with a crush. Then again, AJ always has that affect on him. Whether it be just a simple smile or a laugh, holding hands or leaning on each other in the ring, he gets weak at the knees and he can't stop smiling.

Then his stomach twists hearing those three simple words. Three words they - including the rest of Bullet Club - always passed around in locker rooms and buses after shows or at airports flying home to express the deep appreciation they shared within their brotherhood. Then at night during their post sex cuddling, AJ would murmur it before falling asleep wrapped up in his arms.

To AJ, it was nothing. To Karl, it was everything.

Karl kisses the top of his head, "I love you, too."

AJ says it platonically, but lately, Karl isn't sure if he does.

Sure, he does have a wife and children, all who he loves very much and can't wait until he gets to see them again. But, as AJ sits up to take the beer from Doc, flashing that stunning smile that lights up his already gorgeous face, Karl knows he'd leave them in a heart beat if AJ ever asked him to.

~

"You are the champion, my friiiiend," Dean sings horribly off pitch, leaning on Roman as they walk down the hallway. He's definitely hammered at this point, but he still has a nearly empty bottle of some type of crappy alcohol in his hand.

Roman chuckles, shaking his head, "I don't think that's how it goes, dude."

"When I get to be champ, I'm gonna be called The Dude," Dean slurs, "You're gonna be the Guy, Seth's already the Man. So I'm gonna be the Dude. Shits gonna be cool."

"The Dude?" Roman questions, putting his arm around Dean to keep him from falling, "That sounds as ridiculous as that new catchphrase they're giving me." Granted, it's a lot better than that one time they made him say sufferin' succotash, but it was going to get old pretty quickly even if it does describe him quite well.

"Do you know how crazy it'd be if I won Money in the Bank, and-and then Seth beats you for the title. Then I.. I cash in on him?" Dean asks, speaking as if Roman hadn't said anything, "Then we could finally have that Triple Threat."

"Yeah, that'd be pretty crazy," Roman props Dean up against the wall by his room, unlocking the door with the key Seth gave him before ditching them to go downstairs to fetch some water, "Remember, Seth will be back in a minute. Try not to hurt yourself or anything stupid like that."

Roman gets the door open and helps Dean sit down on his bed. The younger man flops down on the bed, hands clasped under his head.

"You really gotta stop bein' so uptight, man. Ain't gonna kill ya to live a little," Dean says, looking up at him.

Roman raises his eyebrows, "I live all the time, what are you talking about?"

"Yeah, you breathe and stuff, but you... ya don't live, Ro. Livin' is like, bein' spontaneous and shit," Dean rambles, turning his gaze to the ceiling, "And you should get laid, ASAP. Maybe you'll stop bein' so... grumpy."

Roman opens his mouth to protest that he in the situation he doesn't need to be spontaneous, and the only person he'd even contemplate sleeping with has a not-boyfriend, but Dean passes out, snoring loudly. Roman lifts Dean higher up onto the bed so his feet aren't hanging off the edge. He watches his brother for a moment before heading out the door, sighing as he does.

Today has been such a fantastic day - phenomenal, even. Getting to perform in front of a record setting crowd, winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, getting to hold his daughter and hug his mother after emerging victorious, and that's all capped off with celebrating with his brothers (the Usos are basically like his brothers anyways) the old fashion style. He's so incredibly grateful for this opportunity, but having a certain someone by his side would've made it perfect.

Or even now, having that same someone in his room waiting for him would've been just as good. Instead, as he walks down the hallway to his room, he knows it'll be empty.

Jimmy and Jey each have their own wives to attend to. Seth and Dean have each other.

Maybe it's time that he does find that person who really is his soulmate. He has a suspicion he already has, but only time will tell how that'll play out.

Or maybe he should just get himself laid like Dean said. It might actually help him stop obsessing over someone he can't have.

Roman runs a hand through his hair - is that moaning?

He stops and stands by the corner. His room is literally right there... but there is definitely someone down there moaning, and that's just weird.

What's with all these people having sex these days? Jeez.

".. So damn irresistible."

Roman shakes his head, more at himself than anything, and decides to just head for his room. It's not like he cares -

"We ain't doin' this out."

That familiar southern drawl makes Roman freeze in spot, right in front of the door. He very stupidly turns his head just enough that he can see what's happening. A very, very stupid decision, of course.

Karl has AJ pinned up against the wall, hand fisted in his hair and yanked to the side. It actually looks like it hurts, but AJ seems pretty into it.

If he's being honest, Roman could be into that, too. Fuck, he's actually getting a little turned on just picturing him pinning AJ against the wall, towering over him while ravaging his mouth with his tongue. His hands gripping AJ's plump ass to lift him up, wrapping his legs around Roman's waist -

He quickly turns his head away, his face starting to heat up. He slides his key to open the door, practically slamming it behind him in an attempt to escape the situation.

He sits down on the bed, trying to ignore the way his cock was starting to harden just picturing.. that in his head.

AJ is his friend, Roman has no right to think about him like that... right? Friends aren't supposed to fantasize about other friends...

Fuck it. Who's gonna actually know if he thinks about AJ like that... Laying on his back, moaning his name while Roman thrusts into him repeatedly...?

No one, that's who.

That sounds good enough for him as he unbuttons his jeans, slipping a hand inside and wrapping it around his half erect member.

~

RAW

"Uce," Jey grabs onto his brother's arm, jerking with his head to the side, "C'mon."

"AJ! Homie! Wait up!" He calls, pulling Jimmy along.

AJ stops, turning around to look at Jimmy as he and his brother catch up to him, "Hey! What can I do for you?"

"We've been meaning to talk to you," Jey slings an arm around his shoulders, grinning as he does. This conversation has been out back due to Roman's request they not bother the brunette about this, but after the latest development in their ongoing love story has forced them into action.

Well, it's not exactly forced, but. Whatever.

"You have?" AJ questions, raising his eyebrows.

"It's been brought to our attention that you and our cousin have become close lately," Jey replies, "and we've heard his side of the story. Now it's your turn."

"Ro's my friend, the best one I got. Ain't really much of a story to tell," AJ rubs the back of his neck a little nervously.

"Are you sure that's it?" Jimmy asks, raising his eyebrows. "Because we could probably write a whole book based off of the stuff Roman's told us."

Maybe not a whole book, but they could probably write one of those fic things Kevin reads.

"Look, we ain't tryna scare ya or anything like that. We just want to find out some information to protect our boy. Last thing we want is for him to get hurt," Jey says. He puts his hand up at stop AJ before he can say anything. "I know that you would never intentionally hurt him, but I've never seen Ro like someone the way he likes you before. Hell, I don't think he liked Galina this much, and they got married. So, we -"

"Hold on," AJ interrupts, Brie furrowed in confusion, "What do ya mean by 'like'?"

Jimmy smiles, "Like he wants to throw you up against the wall and fuck your -"

Jey clamps a hand over his twin's mouth, glaring at him. That's definitely not how he wanted to go about this, at all. The poor guy is probably embarrassed beyond belief and -

"Really?" AJ questions, looking shocked and far too excited at the same time.

"Oh, yeah. Talks about it all the time," Jey continues, his smile only growing.

AJ rubs a hand over his face, seeming lost in thought, "Okay, I'll.. thanks."

"Glad we could help," Jey nudges his brother's arm, "C'mon uce, we gotta go get ready for our match."

"But, but, that's not -"

"Just c'mon," Jey rolls his eyes and pulls him along, "Poor guy's had enough for one day."

**Author's Note:**

> If you're reading this, that means you've reached the end! Unless this is the very last chapter, then there will be more to come! If you'd like to know exactly when the next one gets posted and have a Tumblr account, follow me on the link below and message me saying you'd like this to happen!
> 
> teamambrollins23.tumblr.com


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